


Here’s to a Better Summer

by loveandallthat



Series: Healing a Break [3]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-03-29
Packaged: 2018-10-12 11:43:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10490160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveandallthat/pseuds/loveandallthat
Summary: Dex and Nursey in their sophomore year, coming to an understanding, getting along.(Set in the same 'verse as the other fics in this series, but you don't need to read them to understand this one.)





	

**Author's Note:**

> No beta, please point out any mistakes you catch! No, really, please do.

 

The summer before Nursey’s sophomore year at Samwell might have been amazing, if he hadn’t spent so much time fighting with Dex. It wasn’t even their usual fighting, where at least they both got their point across. No, instead they had been mad at each other for seemingly no reason, finding fault with the slightest wording, over texts. Sometimes Nursey would say something in the group chat and Dex would message just him to complain about it.

Nursey kept telling himself that it was good that at least they were talking, but he didn’t believe it. He kept trying to get Dex to Skype him, to remove some of the uncertainty from their communication, but Dex always said no.

He tried not to complain about it to Chowder, though he could tell anyway. He would awkwardly ask how Nursey and Dex were getting along, and Nursey would say it was all fine, and Chowder wouldn’t push. This wasn’t Chowder’s mess to clean up from thousands of miles away.

They’d even parted on seemingly good terms, enough that Nursey had given into the fondness overtaking him and pulled him into a hug with Chowder, who’d laughed and said, “I’m going to miss you guys.”

So Nursey really had no idea what to expect when he got back.

\---

But Dex takes advantage of the busy atmosphere surrounding the tadpole tour to completely and effectively avoid Nursey the entire first day they’re back. Since they’re both back in the dorms, Dex can leave and disappear without Nursey knowing where he is, which is exactly what happens, of course.

Nursey figures that they might be in the same building, since there are only a few nice dorms on campus and returning students get first choice. Even if not, they’re pretty close together. Not that it matters until he knows where Dex is, anyway.

They’ll have to see each other at practice, and it’s hard to imagine that they’ll have chemistry on the ice right now. Nursey feels kind of bad for Ransom and Holster, who will have to pick up their slack  _ and  _ yell at them, as their captains. He maybe imagines this too much; there is almost no benefit to it, unless he stumbles upon the exact right words to convince Dex to talk to him normally again.

Practice comes faster than he wanted. They’re back a week early, as all athletes are so that they have some time to practice before everyone gets busy. It means they have plenty of time to have a meeting before they actually get on the ice. Random and Holster are unexpectedly serious next to Coach Hall as they welcome the new members and explain how the season will go. Dex tries to sit between Chowder and Bitty, but Chowder unsubtly slides closer to Bitty. Dex stares straight ahead. Nursey accidentally-on-purpose knocks into him, with no response.

They play perfectly, like Dex is as attuned to Nursey as Nursey is to him. It honestly freaks Nursey out a little bit--he can’t even appreciate it when people compliment them.

And then, like an expert level stalker, he tries to follow Dex back to his dorm.

It doesn’t work, so he asks Chowder, who tells him right away, like he doesn’t realize that Dex might not want Nursey to know. He feels guilty, and immediately offers to take Chowder for a coffee after practice tomorrow.

But first he’s heading for Dex’s dorm room. He sneaks in behind someone while they’re entering with their card, trying not to feel bad about that too. He can’t buy this random girl a guilt coffee, either.

He walks to Dex’s door and knocks like a normal person, so Dex won’t suspect it’s him. It appears to work; Dex opens the door right up, then his face scrunches up in a glare.

“What are you doing here?” Dex grumbles, but he doesn’t slam the door in Nursey’s face. He takes that as a win.

Nursey is suddenly uncomfortable, though he’s pretty sure he’s still acting normal. “Can we talk?”

Dex steps aside to let him in. His stuff is all unpacked, though there aren’t many personal effects beyond Samwell gear. He does have a few Falconers items, which makes Nursey have to fight a smile; Dex is either an excellent friend or a secret fanboy. Or both.

“What are you smiling at?” Dex asks, going red when he sees.

“Nothing,” Nursey replies; it’s so obvious that it’s not even a lie. “How was your summer?” he asks, dropping down onto the bed. Suddenly it feels like he has all the time in the world, just by having been invited in.

“I texted you all the time,” Dex answers, defensive. “You should know.” He drops into his chair like he’s accepting that they’re going to be a while. 

“Seemed like I was pissing you off a lot,” Nursey says off-handedly.

Dex just shrugged. “No more than usual,” he replies.

“That’s not really saying much,” Nursey mumbles. He doesn’t feel bitter, exactly, maybe a little tired. Maybe a little sad, though he wouldn’t admit to that.

His comment catches Dex’s attention, though, and their eyes meet properly. “I wasn’t especially mad at you,” he asserts. Nursey isn’t convinced, and it must show on his face. “I didn’t have the best summer,” he admits.

“Oh.” Nursey doesn’t know what to do with that. It’s much more vulnerable than they usually are with each other, except in the way that fighting reveals too much of you. This is different; this is voluntary. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“No,” Dex sighs, but he doesn’t sound mad. “Not really.”

“I’m here if you do?” Nursey tries and fails to keep his promise from coming out as a question. It’s not his own intentions he wonders about, anyway, it’s how they’d be received. Is that what Dex wants from him, or is he going to be offended to even hear that.

“Thanks,” Dex says. It’s too casual, like he doesn’t believe Nursey rather than not wanting the support.

“Really, Poindexter, I mean it,” Nursey assures him. Dex’s expression turns serious, sincere for a second, before he looks away.

“I know you do.”

\---

Nursey is honestly honored to merit a specific, secret, in-person declaration of Bitty and Jack’s relationship. Dex seems fine with it, too, and Chowder is ecstatic, of course. It makes Nursey a little excited, too, because this really is a big deal. It’s also terrifying, knowing how much it could hurt his friends. He trusts himself with the secret, knows that Chowder and Dex have never let anything serious slip out when it shouldn’t, but everything seems like a huge risk. Nursey’s experience with the closet might only be that he can’t be an out and proud bisexual around his parents’ friends, but he still knows the feeling.

He kind of wants to ask Jack about it, but he doesn’t get the chance, or rather doesn’t make it for himself.

Instead, he and Chowder and Dex end up in Chowder’s room, listening to him go on and on about how great it is, how could they not have noticed. It makes Nursey smile, but Dex has a strained expression on his face.

“What?” Chowder asks him, finally.

It looks a lot like Dex is trying to hold in his next words, but it doesn’t work. “This could ruin their lives,” he whispers.

Nursey gets it, obviously, yet he still feels kind of attacked. “You think not being straight ruins people’s lives? You’re lucky you get to think like that.”

“More like I’m unlucky that I have to think like that,” Dex corrects him, and it hits Nursey and Chowder at the same time.

“You’re not straight?” Chowder asks, recovering first. “Wait, I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

“I’m bi, too,” Dex clarifies, looking at Nursey. He remembers coming out to Dex casually in conversation, is surprised he even remembers the right label.

“Oh, shit. And you just let us assume this whole time?” Nursey asks.

“Easier to keep the secret back home if I keep it here,” Dex answers.

“Not for me. I could never keep it at home if I couldn’t talk about it with you guys,” Nursey replies.

“I’m just glad you both trust me,” Chowder announces, and Nursey laughs.

“We all do,” Nursey points out, “Even Bitty and Jack.”

“I think that was mostly Bitty, Nurse,” Dex argues.

Nursey feels kind of like the rich housewives back home all of a sudden, nothing better to do than gossip. But, then again… “Do you guys think Jack is gay?”

“He seemed serious about Camilla,” Chowder replies. Dex nods.

“Oh, right. Man, Jack has good taste,” Nursey sighs.

“So do Bitty and Camilla,” Dex adds, and Nursey chokes on his own spit. Chowder slaps him on the back until he catches his breath again, still staring incredulously at Dex.

\---

“What really happened over the summer?” Nursey asks Dex the week of Thanksgiving, unable to give up completely.

Dex searches his expression, lips pressed together tightly. It’s better than the anger that Nursey expected, but not the confession he hoped for.

“Dex, honey,” Bitty calls from the other room. “Can you come help me with this?”

Nursey follows him into the kitchen, right as Chowder comes down from his room. “We can help, too,” Nursey offers.

“That’s so sweet, but why don’t you go join Ransom and Holster. I think they were about to come down to play Mario Kart--oh, there they are!”

Bitty sounds way too happy to have somewhere to put Nursey and Chowder. Nursey tries to be mad. He’s not  _ that  _ bad in the kitchen. It doesn’t work; he knows he’s pretty terrible.

They play for a while, until Holster announces he has to take a break and walks into the kitchen a few minutes before the front door opens and Chowder is running over to greet Jack. He throws his arms around him, and it’s a reminder of a level of friendship with Jack that Nursey will never have, not that what they have now isn’t good enough.

Then Bitty’s running out of the kitchen to greet him too. Of course.

“Hey, Nurse,” Jack says, on his way to the kitchen.

“What’s up?” Nursey asks, and gets no response.

“Everyone can come in soon!” Bitty’s voice echoed throughout the Haus. The newer frogs have just arrived, and Nursey is glad for a chance to go try to troll Tango again, something to distract himself.

But he goes right into the kitchen and lets them take his place on the couch instead.

“You’re doing a good job there, Dex,” Nursey says, while Dex is arranging food onto plates that are big enough to imitate serving dishes, which of course they don’t have. He’s setting out paper plates for everyone, too. Nursey likes that this isn’t a fancy affair--of course it makes sense.

Jack’s already at the table, and Nursey keeps looking at him, suddenly feeling like there’s a greater distance between them, feeling almost starstruck. It’s weird.

He looks at Dex, who seems to have frozen.

“Dude, weren’t you about to do something?” Nursey asks him.

Then he’s distracted as Dex rushes to the oven and takes something out, apparently having forgotten about it, though there wasn’t even a timer. 

“Shit,” Dex says, breathing unusually heavily for the situation. “Could you imagine how disappointed everyone would be?”

Nursey watches him for a while and then just sits down, too, right before everyone else shuffles in.

“Not at all,” he mutters, much too late.

Of course, Tango has to be the one to break the pre-food silence, asking if they were going to go around and play the “what are we thankful for” game.

Nursey thinks of his team, but mostly Dex, and mumbles, “I’ve got something.”

But Bitty cuts them all off, suggesting they just eat.

Five minutes later, though, Dex speaks up. “I’m grateful that Nursey coming into the kitchen only  _ almost _ made us burn the chicken.” Everyone laughs around their food, but Nursey thinks back. It’s kind of an intense confession, that it was Nursey’s presence that distracted Dex. He’s not sure what it means.

The time to think about it passes in a haze of food, right before Chowder accidentally knocks into his own plate, just enough to nudge a piece of food onto Dex’s lap.

“Nursey, seriously?” Dex asks.

“Chill, Poindexter,” Nursey replies. “That wasn’t even me this time.”

\---

“That’s it,” Holster announces to the room at large. “Dex, Nursey, couch, tomorrow, five o’clock.”

Nursey’s sitting in the kitchen, playing on his phone with his homework open in front of him. “What?” he questions.

“Come to the Haus tomorrow,” Ransom clarifies. 

“Why?” Dex asks, suspiciously. 

“We’re your captains and we say so,” shouldn’t work, but it’s not like either of them have anything better to do.

Nursey’s a little late, and Dex is already there, but it turns out they’re just hanging out and playing video games. 

“We just thought we could use some bonding time,” Holster explains, though they’re right in the middle of a fight. It was already set up for a team battle when Nursey got there, probably before Dex did, too. And Holster and Ransom set themselves up for the same team.

“Teambuilding, if you will,” Ransom adds.

They lose ten straight games before Dex speaks up. “This isn’t teambuilding,” he complains.

“I know,” Ransom admits, “we were just in a Super Smash mood.”

Nursey rolls his eyes. “We don’t need good video game teamwork, anyway. Our hockey game is still on point.”

Dex’s mouth twitches, and Nursey gets distracted and falls off the edge, losing his last life. “Damn.”

“You want to go to the dining hall?” Ransom asks.

Nursey kind of wants to keep giving them shit, but he  _ is  _ pretty hungry, so they head out. Dex invites Bitty, who says he has to stay in and study, which almost certainly means Skype Jack.

“Oh shit, I’m out of credits,” Nursey realizes. Holster opens his mouth to say something, but is stopped by Ransom nudging him.

“I have an extra one from when I didn’t go to lunch on Monday; you can use it if you want,” Dex offers.

Nursey bites his lip on asking if Dex is sure, comes up with, “thanks,” instead. Dex just looks away.

When they get back, Nursey finds out what Bitty was talking to Jack about, because suddenly he and Chowder and Dex are all invited to dinner with Bitty and Jack. It makes sense for them to hang out with Chowder, or maybe the upperclassmen, but Nursey can’t imagine why he’s invited, except just as Chowder’s friend.

\---

It’s somehow worse than he expects.

Nursey is sure this is to impress Chowder, since Jack can take Bitty somewhere nice any time, and Dex doesn’t really like things like this, and for Nursey it just reminds him of his family.

He lets Bitty give the front seat of Jack’s car to Dex, to keep him happier. Nursey doesn’t mind being squished into the door by Bitty anyway, has always liked knowing that people were comfortable enough with him for casual personal contact.

Bitty keeps up the conversation, though Nursey tries really hard to join in even though he doesn’t particularly care about the restaurant, which is actually where his parents took him the last time they were here. He doesn’t say anything; it doesn’t really matter.

When they get there, it’s valet parking only, so Nursey drags Dex and Chowder into the restaurant, says they’re waiting on the rest of their party, because he suddenly doesn’t know if Jack used his real name. He doesn’t listen for what Jack says to the hostess, anyway.

“This is obviously on me. Don’t look at the prices,” Jack says as they sit down. Nursey laughs; he knows the range of this place. He’d assumed from the start that Jack would pay, kind of weird to expect college students to have that kind of money. Before they even looked, though, Bitty was ordering appetizers for the table, and Nursey remembered one from last time; it was a good choice. Of course it was.

“Um, you guys didn’t have anything else in mind, did you?” Bitty panics.

“You ordered what I wanted,” Chowder says immediately. Nursey wonders if that’s true, but it doesn’t really matter.

“What are you going to get?” Nursey asks Dex. Nursey’s already getting what he’s had before, what he knows. It doesn’t particularly bother him.

“I don’t know; you pick.” 

“Dude, seriously? It’s kind of a personal choice situation.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dex insists. So Nursey leans closer, starts naming some of the best choices until Dex is satisfied.

Nursey looks up after that and sees that Bitty has a hand on Jack’s leg, while they’re deep in conversation with Chowder. They’re not exactly surrounded by hockey fans, but Nursey is still weirdly nervous. Closeted relationships still make him clench his hands a little.

Jack looks up and covers Bitty’s hand with his own. For a second Nursey thinks it’s directed at him, but when he looks over, Dex is also looking at them. Both of them look away, and Dex takes his silverware out of his napkin as the appetizers arrive.

“Chill,” Nursey whispers, and Dex rolls his eyes.

Then, since they were talking about their orders, Dex is able to order for both of them. Nursey laughs.

When Chowder gets deep into conversation with Jack and Dex and Nursey make eye contact with Bitty, who’s doing a poor job of fighting a smile, Nursey knows Bitty’s plan has worked.

They get back to the Haus, and then Dex suddenly announces that they’re all going to Nursey’s dorm to study. Nursey is unaware of this plan, but it sounds fine, anyway.

“Oh!” Chowder exclaims suddenly. “Dex, that was smooth!”

Dex flushes, turning away. “It was still kind of a date, even if we were there,” he mumbles.

“Yeah-oh! I think there’s enough time for me to go see Caitlin, speaking of dates!” Chowder says.

“You should go,” Dex agrees, still not really looking at them.

“Looks like it’s you and me,” Nursey teases. “Are we the third date of the evening?”

“Neither of us even bought the other dinner,” Dex points out, playing along. Nursey is floored.

“Who are you and what have you done with William Poindexter?”

The aforementioned William Poindexter rolls his eyes. “I’m in a good mood.”

It’s just a simple comment, but it hits Nursey really hard. Dex is almost never in a good mood, or even if he is, it’s a post-game celebration, or a good grade on a test. Not a night where he’s feeling loose and unguarded. Nursey does not want to fuck this up.

“You bought me dinner the other day. I could get you a coffee, if you want?” Nursey didn’t mean for that to be a question.

“Yeah, all right.”

It’s not too crowded, not quite close enough to finals season for people to be milling around at this time of night, so they get a table pretty easily.

“You’re staring,” Dex accuses.

“You look really good,” Nursey blurts, which is true. “Sorry, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I don’t want to ruin your night. I know you’re uncomfortable about this kind of thing.”

“I’m not!” Dex argues. “Not ‘this kind of thing,’ anyway, just when you do it.”

“Oh, thanks,” Nursey replies sarcastically.

“Screw you,” Dex shoots back immediately. “That’s not what I meant. It’s because you’re messing with me.”

Nursey is stumped. “Why would you think that?”

“Um, because you don’t even like me?” Dex suggest, slowly, like Nursey is having trouble understanding him.

“Dude, what, just because we argue about shit doesn’t mean I don’t like you; this isn’t third grade!”

“Yeah, but we’ve always argued about serious shit,” Dex stresses. “Stuff you can’t just ignore.”

“You’re willing to talk and think about it and admit when you’re wrong, so I’m not going to complain that you have opinions, even if I don’t agree with them. And you’ve taught me a lot.”

“Oh,” Dex sighs. “We should be drunk for this conversation.”

“I personally want to remember it.”

Dex rolls his eyes. “Yeah, whatever.”

But Nursey has totally caught Dex’s good mood. “Let’s do this again sometime,” he suggests. He takes another sip of his coffee and looks at Dex through the steam.

\---

They spend another break awkward and unsure around each other, this time due to their undefined relationship status. Chowder doesn’t even try to help.

\---

“Your parents coming for your birthday?” Dex asks.

Nursey snorts. “Of course not.”

Dex shifts the angle of his laptop. They’re sitting across from each other at the library, having somehow decided that they would study well together. They haven’t gotten seriously mad in the hour they’ve been sitting there, so maybe it was.

“As far as I know, everyone else is paired off with someone.”

He’s right, of course. Nursey knows this. Everyone with plans has been pretty vocal about them, and it turns out that really does appear to be everyone. It’s weird, because Nursey remembers just yesterday when there were six of them fighting over the TV remote. How were they mature enough to get dates?

Then he pauses, loses all focus on the reading assignment he’s trying to do for class.

“Are you suggesting…?” He can’t even say it; it’s impossible.

“It’s probably too late to get a reservation anywhere,” Dex says, “So we’d have to be creative.”

Nursey could probably get his parents to get him a reservation somewhere, but he knows that’s not the way to impress Dex. “Creative like studying at the library? Or more dining hall food or possibly coffee from Annie’s?”

“When you put it like that, how can I say no?” Dex smirks.

“I think you asked me,” Nursey points out, but if Dex is saying yes then maybe he should reconsider debating semantics.

Dex straightens his laptop again, blocking more of himself with it. “I didn’t hear you say no.”

“And you won’t, not for this,” Nursey promises.

“Do your homework before then,” Dex suggests. “We’ll skip the library.”

“Deal.”

They really do go to the dining hall, but Nursey doesn’t put much stock in Valentine’s Day  _ or _ his birthday, possibly a function of them being the same. Neither one has been a huge celebration in his life, anyway, and doing just about anything with Dex already brings it above the level of fun he’s used to.

The fact that it’s just like any other day is pretty nice for him, actually.

Until it’s not like any other day at all, and Dex is inviting him to go watch a movie in his room. It definitely sounds like a Netflix and chill euphemism. Nursey’s on board with that in theory, though it’s also possible that this is just a normal situation.

“Bitty’s busy, but he baked your favorite pie and I got him to give it to me,” Dex confesses. “So we can have that and watch whatever you want, even if I have to pirate it.”

Nursey can’t help but laugh. Dex is probably the most paranoid person he knows about that, and simultaneously the best at finding anything online if he sets his mind to it. “That means a lot, man.”

“Don’t get used to it.”

Nursey groans and passes at Valentine’s Day, the movie. Eventually they just end up rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec, but Nursey’s too distracted sitting next to Dex in his bed to really focus, anyway.

Dex keeps drumming his fingers on the side of the laptop, too. It’s in his lap, making it a little awkward to watch anyway. He feels like a middle-schooler when he drops his head on Dex’s shoulder to get closer, even more when he gets excited just at the fact that Dex just shifts slightly and lets it happen.

Except a few minutes later, when Dex’s finger tapping is back, he turns toward Nursey and it makes him sit up, too. He takes his hand off the side of the laptop and puts it on Nursey’s neck; it’s warm. He whispers, “Tell me you want this, too,” and leans in.

Nursey is only too happy to meet him halfway, for a sweet, soft kiss. Nothing that he would have predicted if he’d dared to imagine this could happen. He pulls back and his eyes scan over Dex’s face, searching for any indication that he should back off, that Dex regrets starting this. But he’s just looking at Nursey’s mouth, so Nursey kisses him again before pulling back.

Then he groans. “I don’t know what’s more cliche, a birthday kiss or a Valentine’s kiss.”

Dex laughs; Nursey can feel it on his mouth. “A Valentine’s Day kiss. But it doesn’t matter, because you got both.”

Nursey has a slice of pie and goes back to his dorm, but not before giving in and hugging Dex goodbye--it’s a different kind of good than the kiss, and it takes him a long time to pull away. Dex’s expression is relaxed when Nursey finally walks out the door, looking back just the once.

He sleeps well that night, wakes up with a text from Dex that they should go to the Haus when they get the chance, see how everyone else’s night went.

Their good mood lasts until they realize that Bitty didn’t have as good of a Valentine’s Day as they did.

They get there at the same time as Chowder, and Ransom stops the three of them before they go inside, to tell them Bitty and Jack had broken up. Nursey feels cold all of a sudden.

“Oh no!” Chowder exclaims, then quiets a little. “What can we do?”

Dex is clenching his jaw tightly, and Nursey puts a hand on his shoulder--they hadn’t discussed telling anybody about them, but even if they’d planned on it, he’s pretty sure they would change their mind at this.

When they finally make their way inside, Bitty is in the kitchen.

Chowder goes straight over to hug him, and Nursey is usually glad that Chowder has Bitty, but it only occurs to him now to be thankful that Bitty has Chowder. It should have been obvious--he’s grateful that he and Dex know Chowder.

Dex’s arms twitch noticeably, like he wants to join, but he just walks over to the table and sits down. Nursey feels insignificant, unhelpful, as he pats Bitty’s shoulder and moves to join Dex.

Almost immediately after Chowder is sitting on the other side of Nursey, Dex stands back up to help Bitty. He’s clumsier than usual, like he lost his practiced ease. Nursey pretends not to notice it, and the same thing in Bitty.

Eventually the four of them takes out their homework. Dex breaks the silence to ask Chowder for help, and Nursey catches Bitty looking at them fondly--he knows how he feels.

Nursey catches himself looking over at Bitty almost as often as he catches Dex and Chowder doing the same thing.

“I’m fine, guys,” Bitty insists, as the oven timer goes off.

“Sure,” Nursey says automatically, instincts to placate firmly in place.

Dex jumps up to get the foil for Bitty, again without needing to be prompted. He bumps into Nursey on the way, meets his eyes, and both of them immediately look away.

Chowder half stands up, too. “But if you need anything . . .” he starts.

Bitty smiles. “I know.”

They leave shortly after, but Dex pulls Nursey to sit on a bench, despite the cold. Nursey doesn’t complain anyway; it’s pretty empty out.

“If they couldn’t make it, can we?” he whispers, after the cold, still, winter silence is almost unbearable.

“I don’t know,” Nursey answers brightly, too honest. Dex glares at him. “I think so, though.”

Dex scoffs. “Leave it to you, Nurse.”

“Jack and Bitty are great, and they always seemed so good together. I’m assuming that’s what you meant?” Nursey pauses, and Dex nods. “But there’s more to it than that. I don’t know what it is that ruined things for them, but we’re going to deal with different things. Maybe what we have will be enough, maybe it won’t. But, I hope it is. I really, really hope it is,” he says, mostly too himself.

But Dex’s entire demeanor has changed. “I hope so, too,” he says firmly, and Nursey looks up from his hands to return his smile.

\---

There’s a kegster the following weekend. Dex says he and Chowder are working on a project instead, and Nursey should go to the library with them. He says it pointedly, and Nursey assumes he means they might tell C then, but Bitty overhears them and says he’d rather be at the library instead, too. Of course they invite him. Nursey helps him with his French, uncomfortably aware of whom he’s replacing.

Instead they walk Chowder and Bitty back to the Haus, party still in full swing. Without talking about it first, Nursey and Dex go inside, but follow them upstairs instead of joining the party. It looks like Chowder is considering going downstairs, so Nursey grabs him lightly by the sleeve and pulls him into his own room. Dex snorts, but follows them in.

“Nurse and I are sort of dating,” Dex announces. It’s Nursey’s turn to laugh.

Chowder’s eyes go huge. “Are you serious?” he asks, looking like he’s trying to hold in a reaction.

“I don’t know what Dex means by ‘sort of’ since I was going to say ‘hopefully’ dating,” Nursey half-answers.

“That’s so great! Wait, do you mean you haven’t talked about this? Communication is important,” Chowder preaches, like he’s the relationship expert. Although…

Dex goes over to stand next to Nursey and Nursey grabs his hand like he wanted to do all week; it’s a ridiculous thing to do when they’re just standing around outside, but he can’t help it anymore. It feels like honesty, not hiding.

“We managed to be on the same page anyway,” Dex tells Chowder, and Nursey remembers what conversation they’re having. He looks over at the mischievous grin on Dex’s face and can’t help but match it.

“I’m really happy for you, but also kind of afraid of you guys as a team,” Chowder admits.

“Hey, our teamwork helps you out on the ice,” Nursey defends, at the same time as Dex says, “Please, you need us.”

“Oh, no,” Chowder groans, but he’s smiling, too.

\---

But there’s only a certain amount of time for which they can escape a kegster, and they’re having one at the end of March.

Movie dates have become a staple of their romance. Nursey’s afraid to break the status quo, like they might lose what they have if they try to change it up. Dex doesn’t complain, but he has a new habit of looking at Nursey like he’s trying to say something with his eyes. Silent Dex isn’t exactly someone Nursey knows how to handle.

They’re not going to the party  _ together  _ together, since it’s already for/by the hockey team. Well, they do show up together, but that’s the usual. They’re tasked with keg management, which really just means carrying them, and doesn’t actually take very long.

Dex is giving him that look again.

Nursey gives in. “Are you trying to say we should tell the team?”

“Or we could show them,” Dex suggests.

In this case, showing is mostly just not hiding anymore. They dance together all night, first with Chowder and Farmer there as a barrier, keeping them comfortable. Or at least, more comfortable. It’s still not what they’re used to, chill nights in a dorm room, sometimes so innocent that a roommate will come back and not notice anything.

This is dancing, and while they have always been open to going out on the floor and moving, dancing sort of at each other instead of with, maybe looking for partners to dance with if they’ve had enough to drink… this feels different. It is different. They start on a fast song, already a few drinks in, enough to look at each other without feeling too awkward, especially since Chowder and Farmer are doing the same thing, nothing too intimate yet.

The energy and tub juice carry them through the awkwardness of the moment that Nursey brings his arms up to Dex’s shoulders and Dex moves closer like his resolve has finally cracked. It lasts them until Ransom and Holster come over, smirking in creepy sync.

“What do we have here?” Ransom asks, nudging Nursey, who rolls his eyes, amused.

“What’s it look like?” he yells back, over the noise. Dex has gone stiff but not pulled back, so Nursey pulls him in more instead, and he goes.

Holster laughs. “You’re serious! This is great--as long as it doesn’t affect your game. All right, enough captaining, this is the best!”

Dex seems to relax at that, and Nursey knew it would be fine, but he still kind of knows how Dex feels.

“Oh yeah,” Holster remembers. “Take our dibs!”

Then Ransom immediately switches it to a slower song, not enough to kill the party but a shift in the mood, and Nursey remembers that their teammates are the worst.

But Dex stays and dances one dance, face turned in toward Nursey, before they get off the floor to get refills on their drinks, and maybe their teammates are all right after all.

\---

Things are weirdly good between them before the seniors are due to graduate, except how Dex is absolutely panicking about that. Nursey would have been able to tell even if Dex hadn’t told him. Chowder is inside when they get to the Haus, but he quickly goes to Dex’s other side, standing closer than he usually would.

Jack shows up shortly after, and everyone runs out to hug him, Dex and Nursey trailing behind Chowder and then feeling Shitty slam into their backs. Of course that’s the first they see of him in months.

They go back the next morning, and get there to Ransom awkwardly announcing their presence, as though they need an introduction. Nursey shrugs at Dex and they go along with it, walking inside. Dex sees Lardo and runs over to her.

Nursey can’t hear what they’re saying, but he still watches fondly as whatever Lardo is saying appears to calm Dex down significantly, and after a few minutes he comes back to stand by Nursey, until Ransom and Holster drag them off to the side, and Nursey prepares for a D-men meeting.

“Take care of them,” Holster orders, seriously. The tone was already solemn despite the fact that it was a gathering of some of Nursey’s favorite people, but it suddenly felt important.

“Us?” Dex asks, weakly. “What about Bitty?”

Ransom smiles. “Yeah, he’ll take care of everyone, too. But you guys need to take care of him. And Chowder. If anybody messes with anyone on this team.” Oh, they meant that kind of taking care. The tougher, confrontational kind that Dex has perfected, that Nursey can do pretty decent backup for.

“Obviously,” Dex assures them.

Nursey probably doesn’t even need to chime in, but. “I’ll be there, too.” It sounds insufficient, but he means it. Hopefully it’s worth enough.

“Plus, I think if you guys practice a little more, you’ll be better than we were,” Holster whispers, conspiratorially. It sounds preposterous, so Nursey just laughs and says, “sure.”

Everyone leaves after another round of hugs, until it’s just Dex and Nursey sitting with Chowder and Bitty at the table.

“We have to move out of our dorms by noon,” Dex reminds Nursey, while making no moves to stand up and act on that. Actually Nursey’s parents should be here by now, ready to fill their car; where is his phone?

Then he looks at Bitty and Chowder and hears Ransom and Holster asking him to take care of them, and he waits another hour.

\---

The logic that they should each help the other move is flawed at best. Nursey’s parents aren’t heavy lifters, so once the lighter boxes are out, it’s up to Dex and Nursey. Dex had less stuff and more help, so his went quickly.

When there were two boxes left and no way to pretend that they had reason to stick around together longer, Nursey stopped Dex from grabbing one and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Please tell me this summer will be better than last summer.”

Dex lets go of him. “You mean last summer when I was immature and terrible and couldn’t talk to you normally because I liked you too much, because I was afraid my family would figure it out? I can’t promise that.”

“That’s what it was?” Nursey asks, surprised. “You were thinking about me last summer?”

“Of course. And… well, my family, obviously.”

Nursey sobers, chirping urges gone. “Right.”

“Come back early next year,” Dex suggests. “We have a room, and we can make up an excuse.”

“Yeah, OK,” Nursey agrees; he would have probably said yes to anything right now. This is nothing.

Dex lets out a breath at that, then pulls Nursey over so he’s bracketing Dex against the wall, and that’s new; Nursey’s used to fighting to pin each other--not that he minds either. Dex pulls him in so much Nursey’s worried he’s going to be crushed, and then yanks him closer. Nursey inhales deeply, gathers enough strength to move just enough to bring their lips together.

It gets heated extremely quickly, until they’re broken apart by Dex’s phone ringing, his parents probably done waiting for him to help out his spoiled teammate.

“I don’t want to leave,” Dex says quietly. He’s demonstrating it by clutching Nursey’s shirt tightly.

Nursey pulls out of his grip, takes the shirt completely off.

“Whoa,” Dex says, “That’s definitely the opposite of convincing me to leave.”

That’s flattering, but Nursey had a point. He lifts at the hem of Dex’s shirt and says, “trade me.”

They’re both wearing plain t-shirts for the move; it’s not like anyone is likely to notice. Still, Dex frowns. “That’s kind of weird. Do you know how much I’ve been sweating?” He’s taking his shirt off as he says it, though. They swap.

“You’re right; it’s weird,” Nursey says, but he picks up the last box and walks out of the room, leaving Dex to follow him. Once they’re by their parents, they try to keep to a bro-hug before they leave, a casual promise to call sometime.

Nursey sits in the backseat of the car and rubs the worn fabric of Dex’s shirt between his fingers. Sure, sometime, he thinks, and pulls out his phone to text Dex. His phone already has a notification, one new message from William Poindexter.

**Author's Note:**

> This felt a little boring at the end, but it is the conclusion of the series and I do want to feel done. I loved writing a few stories in the same little 'verse, and seeing how things that characters knew and didn't know would affect their actions, how the scenes would weave together. I'm not very good at it yet, but I'm excited to explore, and who doesn't love that feeling?
> 
> Please comment anything! Especially criticism; go nuts. I'd love to hear from you.
> 
> Find me on tumblr as [loveandallthat](http://loveandallthat.tumblr.com/)! I take prompts for tons of fandoms and pairings.


End file.
